Economic evaluation of the solar thermal CO-production of zinc and synthesis gas

The use of concentrated solar energy for co-producing Zn and synthesis gas from ZnO and natural gas upgrades the calorific value of the initial reactants by 39% and, when compared to the traditional carbothermic reduction of ZnO, has the potential of reducing CO2 emissions by up to 78%. An economic assessment for a 50,000 mt/yr chemical plant, 30 to 51 MW solar input, indicates that the cost of solar thermal production of zinc ranges between 89-133 $/mt (excluding the cost of ZnO feed and credit for pollution abatement) and, thus, might be competitive with conventional fossil fuel based processes at current fuel prices. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.